Season 1 - 8 episodes
Watch Alice in Borderland on Netflix // Buy the graphic novel
Written by: Yoshiki Watabe, Yasuko Kuramitsu, Shinsuke Sato, Haro Aso (based on the graphic novel by)
Directed by: Shinsuke Sato
Starring: Kento Yamazaki, Tao Tsuchiya, Nijirō Murakami, Ayaka Miyoshi, Dori Sakurada, Aya Asahina
Rated: TV-MA
Watch the trailer
Plot
A group of bored delinquents are transported to a parallel dimension as part of a survival game.
Verdict
This is a wild concept where players compete against each other in twisted games of survival. The prevailing element is how people will do whatever it takes in a life and death situation. Characters are quick to sacrifice humanity when they face death. The thought of teamwork only travels so far when your life is on the line. The stakes are always high, but this season doesn't provide many answers as to why or how the characters are here. This focuses on the games, with plenty of death along the way and many emotional moments. This season does resolve the general story arc while teasing the next season.
Watch It.
Review
Being sci-fi, this show caught my eye a few times when browsing before I finally decided to give it a chance. It's apparently based on a manga.
Carefree and irresponsible Arisu (Kento Yamazaki) and his two friends hide in a restroom from cops. When they emerge, the streets are empty and everyone is gone. This is Tokyo, there is always someone on the streets. Soon, they find themselves in a strange game of life or death. The first episode is Cube, and as the games proceed this becomes more like Squid Game.
You play or you die, and even if you play you might die. In the second game it's tag, but the person that is 'it' has a gun. We soon discover that everyone is in the game, those playing and operating. There isn't an option to not play these games either.
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| Kento Yamazaki, Yūki Morinaga, Keita Machida play Arisu, Chōta, Karube |
Arisu and Usagi (Tao Tsuchiya) end up in a community of players that are trying to solve the game. It turns out everything is a game.
While this reminds me of Squid Game, this show released first. Squid Game came out at the right time when everyone was at home and wanting something to watch during the pandemic. It's also simpler which probably helps. I wondered if this show would ever explain how they got here or if it's
just a plot device. Shows often try to explain too much and end up providing disappointing explanations.
From the beginning Arisu is really good at figuring out puzzles. It's ironic since he was criticized for doing nothing with his life and just playing video games. Now the skills he developed with video games are saving lives. Part of this show is human behavior and how people react in stressful situations. What and who will they sacrifice when it's life or death? Arisu is one of the few that always tries to help others.
All of these games are puzzles or riddles, and part of the fun is figuring out, or being told the answers. Season one completes the arc with big revelations, but that only leads to more questions. We aren't told how people got to this place. We're left wondering who pulls the strings. This season ends basically telling us that maybe next season we'll get answers, but the games will continue. Even if this were only one season long, it's not a bad way to end it. Despite a short season, this developed characters well in just a few flashbacks and there is indeed a second season.
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